1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns the use of an extract from the leaves of Olea Europea (commonly called olive tree), as an antiradical, particularly in the cosmetic and alimentary fields.
2. Prior Art
The use of antioxidant substances, apt to prevent the forming of free radicals, is rather widespread both in the alimentary and in the cosmetic fields.
In the alimentary field, the oxidizing action is what causes the food to deteriorate. It is hence frequent to add into foods antiradicals for alimentary use, such as acetylsalicylic acid and its esters, or 1-ascorbic acid, which develop an antioxidant action.
In the cosmetic field, the antiradicalic substances are above all used for sun protection creams. In fact, the ultraviolet irradiation causes the forming of free radicals which determine a sort of skin ageing and, after a prolonged exposure, may even lead to damages of neoplastic nature.
The extract from the leaves of Olea Europea, already known since quite a long time, consists of an extremely complex mixture of organic components: most of them have not yet been identified. Among the components which have been identified, the main ones are oleoceuropeine and verbacoside. These two bitter glucosides are cited in literature and, precisely, in the "Gazzetta Chimica Italiaina" (1960--Vol. 90, page 1449) by L. Panizzi, M. L. Scarpati and E. G. Oriente, and in the "Journal of Food Science" (1993--Vol. 58, page 347) by M. Brenes, M. C. Duran and A. Garrido. Particularly oleoeuropeine is known as an antimicrobic substance, as resulting from the "Journal of Applied Bacteriology" (1970--Vol. 33, page 72; and 1972--Vol. 35, page 59) by B. Juven and Y. Hems.
It has now been found that the extract from the leaves of Olea Europea, which contains more than 7% of oleoeuropeine, has considerable preserving properties. Such properties derive, not only from the known antimicrobic action cited heretofore, but also from a considerable antiradicalic action--never evidenced up-to-date and, as a matter of fact, even unexpected--which said extract has been found to develop.